Is it also ridiculous that a school nurse is paid for by the school/government? After all, shouldn’t the parent of the kid pay for each visit to the nurse – and if ots not worth it to them to pay, its not worth it to society?
These courts are in the public best interest. If you don’t have salaried judges, you have in effect established a threshhold for “kosher” theft, up to the point where the claim is worth more than the court costs. Court fees now are so low that this threshhold is irrelevant.
If you don’t like that, then take the berdichiver route. Look at the zechus of America, that they go so far to be mekayim (one of) the 7 mitzvos bnei noach that they completely sponsor even the small claims system. And the kollel system.